I have low gpa, but i want to go to grad school in a different subject.?

[RiceOnWok]

I graduated from a top undergraduate program in applied mathematics with a general GPA of 2.91, subject GPA of 3.13 from a T1, or T2 applied math program in the nation. I found that my GPA don `t reflect my true capacity, and that i chosen the wrong subject to get a degree in. My low GPA might also be due to the fact that i tend to pick "hard classes" without regard much for my GPA.

My current objective is to go to graduate school in economics. I never took a single course in economics, but i tend to find myself reading economic journal articles in the field. I am interested in contract theory, and game theory. Since i have low GPA, and hardly a single course in economics. How am i going to find admission in a top research program in the world?
I plan to do the following to help solve my two problems( GPA, and course requirement):

I plan to be a non-matriculated student at UCLA, or UCSD for 4 continuous quarters, and take only, and only economic courses. I plan to network with my professors, so that they may write to a good recommendation when i ask them.

By doing the above, I would hope to convince the admission people in economic graduate that i can do it. Doing the above would also generate new problems:

The opportunities cost wasted for that one year.

Since i am a matriculated student, i am given low course priority.

No financial assistance from government.

Give that fact that i did year of economic courses, economic admission people might still reject me from consideration due to my previous low undergrad performance.

After one year of taking economic courses, i will apply to a host of masters(T11-T20), and phd programs(T1-T5).

Will my plan work? My goal is to obtain a PHD in economics from a T1-T5.

 

[fss]

This might sound a little harsh, but...

I graduated from a top undergraduate program in applied mathematics with a general GPA of 2.91, subject GPA of 3.13 from a T1, or T2 applied math program in the nation. I found that my GPA don `t reflect my true capacity, and that i chosen the wrong subject to get a degree in. My low GPA might also be due to the fact that i tend to pick "hard classes" without regard much for my GPA.

My current objective is to go to graduate school in economics. I never took a single course in economics, but i tend to find myself reading economic journal articles in the field. I am interested in contract theory, and game theory. Since i have low GPA, and hardly a single course in economics. How am i going to find admission in a top research program in the world?

What makes you think that your GPA doesn't reflect your "true" capacity? You do realize that

• ...the fact that your general GPA is lower than your subject GPA is more than a little questionable (why did you have a sub-C GPA in classes that were presumably easier than your applied math classes?),
• ...realizing that you chose the wrong subject to get a degree in doesn't count for much,
• ...all graduate-level classes in economics will be "hard classes",
• ...economics is basically applied math in general.

...?

Your plan will likely not work for admission into a top university. Your existing GPA is already so low that unless you had a truly spectacular set of qualifications and/or recommendations from some heavy-hitting faculty members in your desired field you wouldn't be able to make up for it.

 

[Shackleford]

This might sound a little harsh, but...
What makes you think that your GPA doesn't reflect your "true" capacity? You do realize that

• ...the fact that your general GPA is lower than your subject GPA is more than a little questionable (why did you have a sub-C GPA in classes that were presumably easier than your applied math classes?),
• ...realizing that you chose the wrong subject to get a degree in doesn't count for much,
• ...all graduate-level classes in economics will be "hard classes",
• ...economics is basically applied math in general.

...?

Your plan will likely not work for admission into a top university. Your existing GPA is already so low that unless you had a truly spectacular set of qualifications and/or recommendations from some heavy-hitting faculty members in your desired field you wouldn't be able to make up for it.

What about for a non-top university?

 

[fss]

What about for a non-top university?

In the US it's almost never an issue of "if", it's a matter of "where." You can almost always find somewhere to do graduate research...whether or not you want to go there is a different matter.

 

[RiceOnWok]

This might sound a little harsh, but...



What makes you think that your GPA doesn't reflect your "true" capacity? You do realize that

• ...the fact that your general GPA is lower than your subject GPA is more than a little questionable (why did you have a sub-C GPA in classes that were presumably easier than your applied math classes?),
• ...realizing that you chose the wrong subject to get a degree in doesn't count for much,
• ...all graduate-level classes in economics will be "hard classes",
• ...economics is basically applied math in general.

...?

Your plan will likely not work for admission into a top university. Your existing GPA is already so low that unless you had a truly spectacular set of qualifications and/or recommendations from some heavy-hitting faculty members in your desired field you wouldn't be able to make up for it.

That is why i plan to go to grad school for masters first. I really did not pay much attention to my undergrad study. As to my true abilities. I do score pretty high on my LSAT( 178), and all the professors that know me, do like me a lot.

 

[fss]

As to my true abilities. I do score pretty high on my LSAT( 178), and all the professors that know me, do like me a lot.

Perhaps you should be looking at Law School, then?

 

[RiceOnWok]

Perhaps you should be looking at Law School, then?

I want to go to graduate school in economics, and eventually getting a Ph.D in economics at a T5 school. If this means taking courses for a entire year as a non degree student, and gaining the recommendations needed, or by going to a lesser school for a masters.

 

[hadsed]

You can take some graduate level classes without being a registered Ph.D student. After you ace a few, you might be able to convince people that you are capable. This is a backdoor approach and you will be paying for it, but it may be worthwhile if you truly think you can do better.

 

[RiceOnWok]

You can take some graduate level classes without being a registered Ph.D student. After you ace a few, you might be able to convince people that you are capable. This is a backdoor approach and you will be paying for it, but it may be worthwhile if you truly think you can do better.

I don`t know about taking graduate courses, but i plan to take a year of upper devision econ courses at UCLA, and do whatever that is necessary to show research ability. Will this get into a T20 program for masters? I hope to use research for my masters to get me into a phd program in a T5.